Parekh Returns to Flames Camp Heavier and Confident
After a rookie season he would rather forget, the 20-year-old defenceman spent his summer with Gary Roberts and says he is up to roughly 191 pounds.
Zayne Parekh showed up to Calgary's training camp Thursday about a dozen pounds heavier than the number beside his name in the NHL's official bio, and he made no secret of why.
"I think I'm like close to 191 pounds right now, so I had a really good off-season," said the six-foot defenceman, who is listed at 179. "Working out with Gary Roberts was a big adjustment this summer. A lot of stuff I wasn't used to, but I think I had a really good summer."
The weight matters because of how last season went. Parekh kept absorbing contact while trying to make plays, and an upper body injury on a clean Nick Foligno hit cost him a month. Add in the healthy scratches, his loan to Team Canada and his World Juniors remarks about NHL players being robots, which bothered some teammates, and it was a year he is glad to put behind him.
"I don't really care too much about that anymore," he said. "I feel really confident and really good about my game right now."
He finished with four goals and nine assists in 37 games, including four goals and three assists over his final 14. Coach Ryan Huska opened camp with Parekh paired alongside Jake Middleton.
"The experience that he went through last year, for a young guy to get all that, he pretty much handled anything and everything that came out," Huska said. "He put the work in this summer. And now he's come back feeling much more comfortable."
Parekh's stated goal is specific: "I want to be an elite power play one guy on this team. Obviously me and (Simon) Nemec are going to compete there, and it's going to be good for both of us."
In other camp news, Chase Harrington, a second-round pick, was a surprise addition to the main group and skated in line rushes with Mikael Backlund. Huska put "zero expectations" on the 18-year-old and hinted he will be sent to Spokane soon.
Alex Nylander, 28, is the only player in camp on a professional tryout. Nylander, a Calder Cup winner, scored at least 23 goals in each of his last two seasons with the Marlies. He was born in Calgary while his father, Michael, was playing for the Flames.
